The Love of the Lord Endures

On one of our last trips to Clearwater, we spent a day at the beach. I stood at the edge of the shore and watched a small child and his father playing in the waves. As each wave came rolling in, the little boy was knocked down to his feet. With every break in the waves, his father would reach down, take him by the hand and pull him back to his feet to ready him for the next wave. As I watched the two, I remember thinking how the scenario resembled my life, especially the last few months. It seems like I've had lots of waves in my life lately, but with every wave, I've had my heavenly Father holding my hand and pulling me back to my feet. Through every wave, I've found that God is my source of joy, hope, and strength. He is unchanging and His love is constant. If there's one thing that I can be sure, it's that the love of the Lord endures.

I recently read a story about a man who's infant son became gravely ill. During the days his child was sick, the man had stopped eating and spent many sleepless nights pleading with God to spare his child. His family and friends watched in helplessness as the man spiraled into a state of despair. When the baby eventually passed away, everyone was afraid to break the news to him out of fear that he would plummet even further downhill. However, upon hearing that his child had gone on to be with the Lord, the man immediately cleaned himself and worshipped the Lord. Everyone was in shock. They asked him "Why did you mourn your son while he was still alive, but now that he is dead, you eat again and no longer weep?" His response was "Why should I continue to mourn and fast if he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me." The man knew that he would see his son again in heaven some day. He had hope for the future.

This man was the great King David and his story can be found in the book of 2nd Samuel. The Lord loved David and soon after, He blessed David and his wife with another son who they named Solomon. David's story is one of hope and faithfulness. Throughout the many trials in his life, he praises the Lord for giving him strength and courage even in his darkest hours. David wrote the 23rd Psalm which shows us how to recognize the presence of God at times and in places where we might think God was absent or when we might be so distracted by our own concerns that we would overlook God's presence. David knew that the love of the Lord endures forever.

In His Love...